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Foxconn and TSMC both report strong November revenues

APPLE HAS GOT fanbois hot under the collar with the unveiling of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.

The iDevice trio had few surprises in store thanks to the huge number of leaks building up to Apple's launch event; the iPhone XS and XS Max pack 5.8in and 6.5in OLED screens, respectively, while the "low-end" XR features a 6.1in LCD 'Liquid Retina' screen.

All three models are the first to feature Apple's homegrown A12 Bionic CPU, the first commercially available 7nm processor, and all come adorned with the notched display that first debuted on last year's iPhone X.

Release dateApple's iPhone XS, XS Max and iPhone XR are now available to order. The latter has sold out in Blighty, with shipping times slipping beyond Apple's promised 26 October release date to "31 October to 7 November".

Latest news12/12/18: Sales of Apple's iPhone XR might not be as bad as speculation had suggested. Bloomberg reports that Apple's top two manufacturing partners, Foxconn and TMSC, both reported strong revenues for November; both saw revenues surge by around 5.6 per cent last month, reversing a recent trend of Apple suppliers reducing production or revenue outlooks to reflect 'lacklustre' demand for Apple's latest smartphones.

5/12/18: Apple is reportedly re-assigning marketing staffers in a bid to boost 'lacklustre' sales to the iPhone XS. So says Bloomberg, which reports that company execs shifted some marketing employees from other projects to work on bolstering sales of its latest handsets. A person familiar with the mater described the move as a "fire drill", and a "passable admission" that the devices have been selling below expectations.

30/11/18: Apple has debunked claims that its iPhone XR is a flop, touting the handset as its "best-selling" model. Despite chatter that the firm had been forced to cut-back iPhone XR orders, a company exec told CNET that the handset has been the best-selling model every day since it went on sale in mid-October, although failed to provide exact numbers.

28/11/18: Apple has slashed orders for the iPhone XS and XR for the second time this month, according to Digitimes, which claims the handsets are still suffering from weaker than expected sales.

"Apple has reportedly enforced a second wave of order reduction in the wake of weaker-than-expected sales for its new iPhones, many other Taiwan supply chain partners are beginning to feel the pinch in November," sources told Digitimes.

This has caused Apple's suppliers to readjust monthly revenue estimations; camera lens supplier Largan Precision has said it expects November revenues to fall from October, and flexible PBC supplier Career Technology has reportedly laid off 110 dispatched workers to cope with order cuts by Apple.

19/11/18: The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has reduced orders for the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, following rumours that Apple suppliers were cutting forecasts amid weak demand for the new devices. The move, which is said to be frustrating suppliers, is being blamed on the overall slowdown of the smartphone market and seemingly weak Chinese demand, according to the WSJ. It remains unclear how dramatically orders have been slashed, but the report backs up earlier claims that iPhone XR orders have been reduced by up to a third.

13/11/18: Apple shares have plummeted after suppliers issued warnings that point to lacklustre demand for the firm's latest iDevices. Lumentum Holdings, the main supplier of Face ID for the latest generation of iPhones, wiped $70m off of its revenue forecasts; while screen maker Japan Display cited lower smartphone demand while cutting its own outlook.

This suggests that Apple's latest iPhones - the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR - aren't selling as well as the company had hoped, as suggested by earlier reports that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone XS.

Analysts commenting on the nosedive, which saw Apple shares to fall by more than four per cent, claim that consumers, particularly those in emerging markets, after shunning iDevices in favour of cheaper devices from the likes of Huawei and OnePlus.

8/11/18: Earlier this week, reports claimed Apple had cut orders for the iPhone XR due to weaker than expected sales. However,Apple 3.0, citing Rosenblatt analyst Jun Zhang, claims the production cuts could be due to quality issues with the iPhone XR's PCBs.

In the words of Zhang: "We believe some Printed Circuit Board (PCB) supplier shipments of HDI boards were quickly dropped this week. This may be attributable to quality issues from Skyworks PAs. We believe this potential round of iPhone XR production cuts by Apple may be attributable to the recently found PA quality issues."

6/11/18: Apple has cancelled a so-called "production boost" for the iPhone XR, suggesting the smartphone isn't selling as well as the firm had anticipated. So says Nikkei Asian Review, which reports that Apple has told Foxconn and Pegatron to halt plans for additional production lines.

A source familiar with the matter said: "For the Foxconn side, it first prepared nearly 60 assembly lines for Apple's XR model, but recently uses only around 45 production lines as its top customer said it does not need to manufacture that many by now".

According to the report, Apple is instead ordering more iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models from its manufacturing partners, with the firm expecting to flog 25 million units during this quarter, up from 20 million previously.

29/10/18: The iPhone XR went on sale last week, and iFixit has picked up one of the devices to, naturally, take it apart. The teardown reveals that the "internals of the iPhone XR look like a cross between an iPhone 8 and an iPhone X". iFixit notes that the XR's 11.16 Wh battery is bigger than the 10.13 Wh battery inside the iPhone XS, adding that the LCD display is bigger, thicker and heavier than the OLED panel on Apple's more expensive flagship.

iFixit gave the iPhone XR an overall repairability score of six. A broken display can easily be replaced with minimal hardware removal, but Pentalobe screws and waterproofing make things difficult.

18/10/18: Sky Mobile has become the first UK operator to reveal iPhone XR tariffs before pre-orders kick off in Blighty on Friday. It'll offer the 'affordable' iDevice from just £34 per month with 1GB data and unlimited calls and texts. Data can be upped to 4GB, 5GB or 15GB for £40, £43 and £48 per month, respectively.

9/10/18: Apple has pushed out iOS 12.0.1, which fixes a handful of early bugs plaguing users of the iPhone XS and XS Max users. This includes the WiFi and LTE issues, with users complaining that connectivity is sub-par compared to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, and an issue affecting the handsets' charging. According to those suffering the glitch, Apple's new iPhones won't recognise their lightning cable unless their phone is unlocked when plugging it in.

4/10/18: Apple is reportedly investigating 4G LTE issues affecting owners of its new iPhone XS and XS Max handsets. According to early adopters of the handsets, they are experiencing slower WiFi speeds and a poorer signal on the XS compared to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

One Twitter user claims that Apple has reached out to him for more information and asked him to install a baseband logger so that it can monitor his phone's connections to cellular towers.

@reneritchie Apple just reached out to me to see if I could answer some questions about my Xs Max reception issues they're doing an outreach to some affected users and are asking to install a baseband logger to track my connection to the tower

Apple still hasn't spoken publicly about the issue, but it could push out a fix in iOS 11.2, which will also sort a problem related to the charging of the two new iPhones.

3/10/18: Apple's next software update, iOS 12.1, will fix the charging issue plaguing iPhone XS and XS Max handsets. The update, which also brings with it 70 new emoji, is currently available in beta and will arrive on all iPhones and iPads later this year.

1/10/18: Some iPhone XS and XS Max units won't charge if the handsets' screen is turned off. That's according to a number of forum posts and YouTube videos detailing the issue, with users complaining that their spanking new iPhone won't recognise their lightning cable unless their phone is unlocked when plugging it in.

Apple, naturally, has yet to speak out about the issue, but some are speculating that it's related to Apple's new law enforcement-defying USB Restricted Mode feature.

27/9/18: The iPhone XS Max is Apple's most-expensive smartphone yet, but it doesn't cost the company that much to make.

TechInsights, an Ontario-based firm that pulls apart smartphones yo analyse their contents, said on Tuesday that the iPhone XS Max model with 256GB storage - and a starting price of £1,249 - costs Apple around $443 (£337) in parts and assembly costs. Last year's 64GB iPhone X, by comparison, cost (£300) to put together.

According to TechInsights, the XS Max's priciest component is its $80.50 (£61) display, compared to $77.27 (£58.20) for last year's iPhone X, which featured a smaller 5.8in screen. This small increase, despite the Max's hefty 6.5in screen, was because Apple removed its 3D Touch system.

26/9/18: The battery performance of the iPhone XS and XS Max fail to match that of last year's iPhone X, despite Apple's claims to the contrary.

While the firm says that the iPhone XS should last 30 minutes longer than last year's flagship and the XS Max up to 90 minutes longer, Tom's Guide's battery endurance test seems to debunk these claims.

The website found that the iPhone XS managed 9 hours and 41 minutes before shutting down, while the iPhone XS Max lasted 10 hours and 38 minutes, above an industry average of 9 hours and 48 minutes. However, by comparison, the iPhone X lasted 10 hours and 49 minutes in an identical test.

The publication noted that "the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max simply don't have the staying power of the best Android phones," pointing to Huawei, Google, Samsung, and OnePlus flagships with better battery performance.

25/9/18: Early adopters of the iPhone XS and XS Max have been quick to complain of issues with LTE and WiFi connectivity. Over on Reddit, owners of the smartphones claim that there are experiencing slower WiFi speeds and a poorer signal on the XS compared to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

While some are speculating that lacklustre 4G performance could be due to Apple's switch from Qualcomm to Intel modems, WiWavelength's testing has shown that the new iPhones feature disappointing radio frequency performance compared to previous iPhone models. The networking blog notes that the performance problems some users are experiencing are caused by an "antenna issue," specifically related to weak antenna gain.

Apple has yet to comment, and it remains unclear if a software update could rectify the borkage.

While the engineers struggled to get into the devices due to their proprietary screws, souped-up waterproofing protection and breakable glass cases, they found some interesting tidbits once they were inside.

Apple's "battery origami" sees the iPhone XS Max stuffed with two batteries, for example, with Apple equipping the duo of cells with an, er, notch to reduce the stress on the corners of the battery. The teardown also reveals that the new iPhones come kitted out with Intel modems, with Apple ditching Qualcomm's tech due amid the firm's ongoing legal battle.

Elsewhere, iFixit uncovers a new Apple-branded power management chip in the iPhone XS Max, a heftier wide-angle camera sensor and louder speakers.

Overall, iFixit gives the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max an overall repairability score of 6/10, the same score given to last year's iPhone X.

20/9/18: A filling at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, otherwise known as TENAA, has revealed more details about the new iPhones' internal specs. Shared by MyDrivers, the filing reveals that the run-of-the-mill iPhone XS packs a 2,658mAh battery, around 2 per cent smaller than the 2,716mAh battery inside the iPhone XS, while the XS Max packs a heftier 3,174mAh offering.

The iPhone XS, Apple's lower-spec offering that launches next month, is a battery capacity of 2,942 mAh, roughly 8 per cent larger than in the iPhone X, and more than 10 per cent larger than in the iPhone XS.

Elsewhere, the filing confirms that the iPhone XS and XS Max each pack 4GB RAM, while the iPhone XR has 3GB.

17/9/18: Apple oracle Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that demand for the 5.8in iPhone XS has been lower than expected. In a research note seen by Apple Insider, Kuo estimates that the 5.8in flagship has so-far seen "lacklustre demand", accounting for just 10 to 15 per cent of new iPhone shipments.

The iPhone XS Max, however, has been selling in line with expectations, accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of new iPhones sold. While the handset's 'one to two-week' shipping times is shorter than the 'two to three-week' dates seen by last year's iPhone X, this is likely due to improvements within the supply chain rather than relaxed demand, according to Kuo.

13/9/18: Apples not-yet-day-old iPhones have been shown up in Geekbench (via LetsGoDigital), revealing the performance you can expect from the firm's 7nm A12 Bionic chip.

The lowest-spec iPhone XR, which the listing reveals features 3GB RAM, earns itself a single-core score 4,754 and a multi-core score of 9,367. While the run-of-the-mill iPhone XS hasn't yet been listed on Geekbench, its bigger Max-branded sibling, which comes with 4GB RAM, ranks with a single-core score of 4,813 and a multi-core score of 10,266.

In comparison, last year's now-defunct iPhone X reached a Geekbench score of 4,055 in single-core and 10,375 in multi-core.

The 5.8in iPhone XS is the direct successor to last year's iPhone X, while the Max model, which offers the same footprint as Apple's previous 5.5in smartphones despite its larger 6.5in OLED display, essentially replaces Apple's now-defunct Plus-branded models.

Both the XS and XS Max feature Super Retina resolution screens, which offer HDR, Dolby Vision and carry the notch that debuted on last year's flagship. This is to accommodate Apple's souped-up Face ID tech, which the firm is now touting as the "most secure facial authentication ever in a smartphone".

Both also come crafted from surgical-grade stainless steel and the "most durable glass ever in a smartphone", with the new iDevices now boasting souped-up IP68 certification.

Under the hood, the new iPhone XS models pack Apple's A12 Bionic CPU, the first commercially available 7nm chip. The processor, which comprises of a four-core CPU, six-core GPU a next-gen eight-core neural engine, promises to deliver a 15 per cent performance boost compared to last year's A11 chip, 40 per cent lower power consumption and support for real-time machine learning.

On the photography front, the iPhone XS and XS Max pack a dual 12MP camera setup, which boasts a larger sensor than that found on the iPhone X and an improved TrueTone flash. There's a bunch of new Camera software features incoming too, including a new 'Smart HDR' mode and the ability to adjust a photo's depth of field after it's been taken.

Around the front, you'll find the same 7MP TrueDepth camera as last year's model, but - according to Apple, at least - the sensor is "twice as fast" as before.

The iPhone XS and XS Max are also the first iPhones to support dual SIM, with a physical SIM card and Apple's own eSIM. For China, Apple is specifically making a phone with two physical SIM slots.

In terms of battery life, Apple boasts that the iPhone XS will last, er, 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X, while the iPhone XS Max will deliver an extra hour and a half.

The iPhone XS and XS Max will be available with a choice of 64GB, 256GB, 512GB of storage, and in Gold and Silver, Space Grey colour options.

Apple also showcased the iPhone XR at its 12 September launch event, which arrives as the spiritual successor to last year's iPhone 8. It hasn't escaped the notch treatment, though, with Apple equipping the lower-end smartphone with a display cutout to accommodate its previously iPhone X-exclusive Face ID tech.

The handset, which takes cues from the iPhone 5C with its jazzy colour options, comes crafted from aluminium and glass, which houses its 6.1in LCD 'Liquid Retina' display and offers IP57 certifications.

While the iPhone XR packs the same A12 Bionic CPU as the XS and XS Max, it lacks the dual-camera setup of its more expensive siblings and instead touts a single 12MP wide-angle lens on its rear. You'll find the same 7MP TrueDepth camera around the front, though.

The iPhone XR also offers dual SIM support with one physical card slot and a digital eSIM and, in terms of battery life, Apple claims you'll get an hour and a half more than the iPhone 8 Plus.

The iPhone XR will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB configurations and white, black, blue, coral, red and yellow colour options.

12/9/18: Apple's iPhone XS, the direct successor to last year's iPhone X, has been exposed in hands-on images (below) with just hours to go until its official unveiling. A Weibo user posted images of the soon-to-be-unveiled smartphone, confirming that it'll look almost identical to its predecessor with its notched display and chamfered edges. The leak doesn't tell us much else about the iPhone XS, but we don't have long to wait until all is revealed.

11/9/18: Apple's low-cost iPhone will reportedly be available in short supply at launch due to "quality issues of assembly and display". That's according to Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac), backed up by Bloomberg, who claims that the so-called iPhone XR will launch in "late September-early October" due to issues attaching backlights to the LCD screen. These manufacturing problems will lead to supply constraints at launch, according to the two reports.

10/9/18: The incoming entry-level 6.1in LCD iPhone could arrive as the iPhone XC, according to a presentation from carrier China Mobile, via Macotakara. The slide also casts some doubt over the name of Apple's incoming 6.5in OLED model, suggesting it'll be called the iPhone XS Plus, rather than the XS Max.

The leak also claims the so-called iPhone XC will fetch around £540 at launch, while the iPhone XS and XS Plus will fetch around £700 and £775, respectively.

7/9/18: Apple's incoming 6.1in LCD iPhone, tipped to arrive as the iPhone 9, has leaked in a series of images that confirm it'll be available in three colour options: white, red and blue. In contrast, the iPhone XS and XS Max are expected to launch in white, gold and black variants.

The leaked images, which come courtesy of SlashLeaks, also confirm that the iPhone 9 will pack a dual-SIM tray, confirming rumours that the handset will be made available in a. dual-SIM variant.

6/9/18: Apple is widely expected to launch two new OLED iPhone models next week - an upgraded 5.8in model set to launch as the iPhone XS and a heftier 6.5in version that's going to be called the iPhone XS Max, according to 9to5Mac. This backs up an earlier report from Bloomberg, which claimed that Apple planned to drop the 'Plus' label from its 2018 iPhones.

9to5Mac's report, which has compiled info from multiple sources, adds that both the iPhone XS and XS Max are likely to include 4GB RAM, up from 3GB in last year's iPhone X, alongside a new A12 chip and dual-SIM options in some countries.

3/9/18: A mega-leak courtesy of 9to5Mac has revealed that Apple's new OLED iPhones will arrive as the 'iPhone XS', and will be made available in 5.8in and 6.5in versions. The incoming iPhones, previously referred to as the iPhone 11 and 11 Plus, will also be made available in a new gold colour option (above), according to the leak, and both will be released before the end of September.

30/8/18: Apple's 'affordable' iPhone 9 will be delayed beyond September, according to - who else - Ming-Chi Kuo. In a research note seen by Apple Insider, Kuo claims that while the high-end OLED models will be available to buy next month, the 6.1in LCD model will be made available later in the report.

There is some good news, though, as Kuo expects the device to be powered by the same A12 SoC that will be found in the higher-spec models. The 7nm chip will reportedly offer '20 to 30 per cent' performance gains compared to Apple's A11 chip, and will offer better battery efficiency.

Contrary to earlier reports, Kuo also predicts that the new iPhone models will not support the Apple Pencil, as the accessory "does not currently offer a good user experience."

29/8/18: Apple looks set to ditch 3D Touch from all of its 2018 iPhones. That's according to Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis, via MacRumours, who claims thatit's "widely understood" that 3D Touch will be removed from iPhones with OLED displays in 2019.

28/8/18: Apple's 2018 iPhones looks set to offer a hefty performance boost, according to Macworld, which has taken a look at what we can expect from TSMC's incoming 7nm A12 chip.

Based on TSMC's own claims, and some educated guessing, Macworld says it expects the A12 processor to offer 20 to 30 per cent performance gains compared to last year's A11 Bionic CPU, along with a 40 per cent reduction in power consumption.

It expects the 7nm processor to stick to a six-core design, which will earn it a multi-core performance score of around 13,000 in Geekbench 4. For single-core performance, it's likely to increase the A11's 4217 score to around the 5,000 mark.

21/8/18: Apple's 2018 iPhones will be available to pre-order in less than a month's time on 14 September, according to German publication Macerkopf. The website, citing two unnamed German carriers, reports that networks are preparing to start taking pre-orders on 14 September, suggesting that Apple is planning an announcement later that week, likely on 12 September.

Last year, we saw new iPhones announced on 12 September, pre-orders kicking off on 14 September and then an official release on 22 September.

17/8/18: Taiwanese publication Economic Daily Newshas backed up reports that Apple's 2018 OLED iPhones will ship with Apple Pencil report. The site, which got its information from "industry insiders", claims that the second-gen iPhone X and 6.5in iPhone X Plus will both be compatible with the Apple Pencil, but notes that the 6.1in LCD model won't be compatible with the stylus.

15/8/18: Apple's 2018 iPhones will offer Apple Pencil support and up to 512GB built-in storage, according to research firm TrendForce.

It's unclear whether these features, similar to those found on Samsung's newly-launched Galaxy Note 9, will be available on all three incoming iPhones or reserved for Apple's higher-end OLED models.

These OLED models will, unsurprisingly, be more expensive than the "budget" 6.1in LCD iPhone 9, which Trendforce expects to have a starting price of around $699 to $749. The so-called iPhone X (2018) and iPhone X Plus will have starting prices of $899 to $949 and $999, respectively, according to the research firm.

The report confirms that the two OLED models are already assembled, while the budget LCD model will begin assembly in mid-September, in line with the smartphones' rumoured September and October release dates, respectively.

14/8/18: Yet another video showing off Apple's 2018 iPhones has cropped up on YouTube (below), courtesy of DetroitBORG. The seven-minute video shows off new dummy units obtained by Sonny Dickson, and refers to the incoming devices as the iPhone 9, iPhone X (2018) and iPhone X Plus. The clip doesn't have many surprises in store, but the "fairly accurate" models show that all three new iPhones will feature a notched design to accommodate Face ID. The 'cheap' LCD iPhone 9 will sport a single-lens camera on its rear, while its presumaly more expensive siblings will retain the iPhone X's dual camera system.

9/8/18: Well-known phone reviewer Marques Brownlee has given us our best look at Apple's 2018 iPhones yet - although he, presumably accidentally, refers to them as 2019 models.

In a video posted to YouTube (below), Brownlee goes hands-on with dummies of the so-called iPhone X2, iPhone X Plus and iPhone 9, confirming that the notch will be the same size on all of the three models, and that the 6.5in iPhone X Plus will boast a smaller design than Apple's current iPhone 8 Plus.

He also gives us a good look at the protruding camera lenses on the three iPhones, with the iPhone X2 and X Plus both packing dual camera setups, while the LCD model sticks with a single-lens rear-facing camera. This 'cheaper' model will also stick with Apple's first-gen Face ID tech, according to Browlee, while the duo of iPhone X-branded models will be upgraded to the firm's second-gen tech.

7/8/18: We've seen plenty of mock-ups of Apple's incoming iPhones, but thanks to a new leak courtesy of Slashleaks, we may have caught a glimpse at a 6.1in iPhone 9 in the flesh for the first time.

The image (above), which appears to have been taken in a factory, gives us a somewhat blurry look at the rear of the so-called iPhone 9. If legit, the leak confirms that the 6.1in LCD iPhone will feature a larger camera sensor paired with a repositioned dual LED flash.

6/8/18: Apple's rumoured dual-SIM iPhone will be exclusive to China, according to a report from Economic Daily News.

The Chinese news outlet, citing a source at Foxconn, reports that the 6.1in LCD iPhone will be the only model to support the functionality, with the handset to be made available in both single and dual-SIM models; the latter which it claims will be made available exclusively in China.

According to the report, Apple's made the decision because it's common for people in China to have more than one mobile phone number, with as many as three to four billion consumers using dual SIM cards.

Cirrus Logic, which makes audio hardware for iDevices, posted its fiscal quarter guidance this week, which Ramsey claims "all but confirms that Apple will not bundle the DAC headset converter 'dongle' in its new iPhone models".

As per Apple Insider, Ramsay notes that the dongle will continue to ship with older iPhone models, just not with Apple's incoming iPhone 9, iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Plus.

Brazilian Apple news site iHelpBR has uncovered evidence in the fifth iOS 12 beta that appears to confirm that the device will feature a screen resolution of 1242x2688 and support for iPad-esque landscape app design. According to the website's digging, stock apps such as Calendar, Contacts, and Messages are already being optimised for a landscape layout.

"Apple released the fifth test version of iOS 12 for developers yesterday. To our surprise, when running the new build with the supposed resolution of the iPhone XS Plus, it was possible to view the applications in landscape mode as they are displayed on the larger models," iHelpBR noted.

31/7/18: Apple released the fifth developer beta of iOS 12 on Monday, which appears to have confirmed that the company is planning a dual-SIM iPhone model to be released this year.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, a component of the system responsible for the generation of diagnostic reports includes new references to "second SIM status" and a "second SIM tray status", while another component references a "dual sim device". This all but confirms that a dual-SIM model will debut this year, although it remains to be seen whether it will make its way to Blighty.

30/7/18: Twitter tipster Benjamin Geskin has shared images of what he claims to be dummy units of the 6.5in iPhone 11 Plus and the 6.1in LCD iPhone 9 (below).

The images, if legit, don't tell us much we don't already know, but 'confirm' that the LCD iPhone features a single rear camera, while the iPhone 11 Plus uses a dual-camera layout similar to that on the iPhone X, not a triple-lens camera as previously speculated. As expected, they also show the so-called iPhone 9 with larger bezels than its higher-spec sibling.

Confirming an earlier report from Ming-Chi Kuo, Qualcomm's CFO George Davis said on Wednesday confirmed that: "Apple intends to solely use our competitor's modems rather than our modems in its next iPhone release. We will continue to provide modems for Apple's legacy devices."

Davis didn't mention Intel by name, but the rival chipmaker is the only other supplier of that component for Apple's smartphones.

Apple's decision to ditch Qualcomm likely comes as a result of escalating tensions between the two firms, which have been embroiled in a legal battle for more than a year.

25/7/18: The cheapest of Apple's 2018 iPhones, the 6.1in LCD iPhone 9, will be made available in six different colours, according to Macotakara.

Apple guru Ming-Chi Kuo has already had a similar prediction and last month claimed the LCD iPhone would come in gold, grey, white, blue, red and orange colour options. Macotakara, on the other hand, predicts the colours will be white, black, flash yellow, bright orange, electric blue and taupe - all colours of cases that Apple currently flogs.

There's no red in Macotakara's prediction, which makes sense given that this colour is typically reserved for Apple's (PRODUCT)RED launches.

This iPhone 5C-esque colour lineup will likely be reserved for the iPhone 9, with rumours claiming that the 5.8in and 6.5in iPhone 11 and 11 Plus will only be made available in three colours: gold, grey and silver.

So says Japanese blog Macotakara, which reports that the 18W charger will come with a USB-C to Lightning connection, won't be available to purchase seperately due to supply constraints. The initial supply will only meet Apple's needs for 2018 iPhones, so buyers will have to wait until next year to purchase the accessory.

If legit, the images confirm that low-cost, 6.1in LCD iPhone 9 won't feature a completely bezel-free display of the 5.8in and 6.5in OLED models, despite Apple's plan to adopt new backlight-reducing chips order to achieve a full-screen design.

The leak doesn't give much else away, beyond confirming that all three models will adopt a notched design to facilitate Apple's Face ID tech.

13/7/18: Apple will adopt backlight-reducing chips for its upcoming LCD iPhone in order to equip it with a full-screen design.

A report out of Digitimes claims that Apple will "exclusively" use Japanese manufacturer Nichia's 0.3t LED chips for its 6.1in LCD iPhone, which will equip the device with similar brightness to previous LCD models but also with the same super-thin bezel as the iPhone X.

"While LTPS-LCD smartphone screens with backlights using 0.4t LED chips have bottom bezels of 4.0-4.5mm, use of 0.3t LED chips can reduce them to 2.0-2.5mm, enhancing LCD screens' competitiveness against OLED all (bezel-free) screens panels," the report explains.

Digitimes notes that while the use of 0.3t LED chips comes with greater technical risk, especially when it comes accuracy and stability, Nichia "successfully started production" in the first half of 2018.

According to earlier rumours, Apple's LCD iPhone - which is expected to be the cheapest of the firm's three incoming iPhones with a starting price of $700 - will allegedly be made available in grey, white, blue, red and orange colour options.

5/17/18: Apple is reportedly planning to introduce as many as five new colour options with its 2018 iPhone line-up.

At least that's according to a report from renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by 9to5Mac. He claims that the 6.5in OLED iPhone, expected to arrive as the iPhone X Plus, will be offered in black, white and a new gold option.

The 'entry-level' 6.1in LCD iPhone will allegedly debut in more out-there grey, white, blue, red and orange flavours, according to Kuo.

As noted by 9to5Mac, the reference to 'grey' and 'white' models could be a nod to Apple's current Space Grey and Silver finishes, while the rumoured red model could arrive as part of Apple's PRODUCT(RED) lineup - although these typically arrive months after an iPhone has been launched.

There's no word yet as to whether the 5.8in iPhone X successor will be offered in any new colour variations.

In his research note, Kuo is also raising his prediction for iPhone sales. He expects the cheaper, LCD iPhone to account for 55 per cent of sales when the new iPhones launch, and take even more share through 2019.

He's clearly expecting a burst of demand, too, and expects that Apple will see significant growth with sales of 70 million iPhones in the fourth quarter.

4/7/18: Images posted on Chinese blog Chongdiantou claim to show off the USB-C charger that will ship with this year's iPhones.

The images allegedly give us a glimpse at an "engineering sample" of the 18-watt USB-C charger, which is also expected to be bundled with Apple's incoming iPads.

While the labelling looks different to Apple's usual style - suggesting this could be a third-party accessory from China - the design of the charger matches up with earlier leaks, which suggested that the 18W accessory would be oval-shaped and offer a USB-C input.

While the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X all offer support for wireless charging, Apple doesn't currently offer the accessories to enable it. With third-party accessories, though, USB-C fast chargers can just an iPhone from empty to 50 per cent in less than half an hour.

3/7/18: TheiPhone X Plus has cropped up on Geekbench, confirming that it'll offer a decent upgrade under the hood.

The handset, referred to as the 'iPhone 11,2' in the Geekbench listing first spotted by BGR, will come equipped with a new six-core CPU (D321AP), 4GB RAM (1GB more than the iPhone X) and Apple's iOS 12 software, which has a major focus on performance.

The aforementioned CPU will likely be Apple's homegrown A12 chip, built by TSMC, which is expected to be the industry's first 7nm chip, which will - in theory, at least - offer more speed and better efficiency than the 10nm chips found in current iDevices.

That rings true in the Geekbench scores, as the so-called 'iPhone 11,2' trounced Apple's current iPhone X flagship with a single-core score of 4673 and a multi-core score of 10,912. The iPhone X, for comparison, scored 4206 and 10,123, respectively.

The video (below), sent to 9to5Mac by tipster @shaimizrachiwho has shared accurate dummies for iPhones in the past, shows off the duo of incoming devices next to current iPhone models, including the flagship iPhone X.

Cases from accessory maker Sketch are also shown in the video, suggesting that case companies are already started making designs ahead of an official announcement from Apple in September. Probably, at least.

The iPhone 9, as expected, appears to have a single camera on its rear, adding weight to rumours that it'll be Apple's entry-level offering this year. Earlier rumours also point to a 6.1in LCD screen, with Apple opting against OLED in order to keep the cost of the handset low.

The iPhone X Plus appears to be the same size as the iPhone 7 Plus it's stacked up against, despite packing a larger 6.5in screen. This is because Apple has ditched the large bezels seen on its Plus-sized model in favour of its notch-equipped, iPhone X design.

The audio-less video also appears to show a dual camera setup on the rear of the so-called iPhone X Plus, despite some rumours pointing to a Huawei P20-esque triple-camera setup.

The video does not show the expected 5.8in OLED model, but Mizrachi has teased that "another surprise" is coming.

29/6/18: Apple has reportedly roped in LG to supply OLED screens for its 2018 iPhones in a bid to lessen its reliance on Samsung.

The South China Morning Post reports that LG Display will initially supply Apple with between 2 and 4 million OLED screens, small fry compared to how many tens of millions of iPhones the firm likely will produce, as it "continues to work on ramping up capacity".

However, LG - which is reportedly considering opening a new OLED production factory in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou - has bigger ambitions though, and is reportedly looking to secure all OLED orders for one of Apple's 2018 iPhones, likely the 6.5in iPhone X Plus.

Such a move would help Apple to lessen its reliance on Samsung, which is currently the sole supplier of displays for the iPhone X and has been linked to the smartphone's £1,000 starting price. However, on the other hand, LG's OLED displays have previously received lacklustre reviews - particularly when it comes to the bork-ridden screen on Google's Pixel 2 XL.

"Securing a second supplier for OLED screens is crucial for Apple as it will allow the company to reduce its reliance on Samsung, which is currently the sole supplier," said Jerry Kang, a senior principal analyst at IHS Markit.

"At the same time, it will help accelerate a broad adoption of OLED screens. More suppliers means more volume, and in turn, lower pricing."